"I couldn't believe..." - Mohammad Kaif shocked by Virat Kohli's failure to overcome 2012 weakness
Published - 30 Jan 2025, 01:46 PM | Updated - 30 Jan 2025, 11:35 PM
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As Virat Kohli made his long-awaited Ranji Trophy return after 13 years, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has made a bold statement on the India batting icon’s major weakness. Kaif recalled Kohli’s last Ranji match against Uttar Pradesh back in 2012.
Virat Kohli is currently playing in Delhi’s final group match of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The former Indian captain would be hoping to leave his poor form behind by grinding in first-class cricket after more than a decade.
Mohammad Kaif reveals Virat Kohli's flaw as he returns to Ranji Trophy after 13 years
The right-handed batter had an unforgettable 2024 season, especially in Test cricket, and he was one of the biggest flops on India’s recent Test tour of Australia, where he could manage only 190 runs across the nine innings, as the tourists lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Kaif revealed how Bhuvneshwar Kumar exploited Virat Kohli's weakness outside the off-stump in both innings in his last Ranji match, and that is still haunting the 36-year-old. Bhuvneshwar Kumar had removed Kohli for 14 and 43 in that Ranji clash between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Kaif himself caught Kohli in the slips in the first innings. Well, Kohli was struggling with the same issue throughout the Australia tour, and Kaif couldn't help but express his surprise that Virat still struggles with the same weakness all these years later.
The weakness he had earlier is still there: Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube channel: “I could not believe that our match against Delhi in 2012 was Kohli's last Ranji Trophy match. The weakness he had earlier is still there. The way Bhuvneshwar Kumar got him out twice, I cannot believe that the same weakness is still there. The way he was getting out in Australia, he got out in the same way in that Ranji match.”
Kaif blamed Kohli’s tight bottom-hand grip for his struggles with the outside off-stump delivery. Despite this, Kohli achieved incredible success in his career that is commendable, said the former Indian batter. He noted, “Despite having a weakness against outside off-stump balls due to his tight bottom hand, the stature he achieved is commendable. He has 50 centuries in ODI cricket.”
Mohammad Kaif hopes Ranji will help Virat Kohli get back into his grooves
The commentator also hoped that Kohli’s return to the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 could help the right-handed batter to regain his form ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Before the prestigious tournament, Kohli will play in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England at home.
Kaif signed off by saying, “Playing a Ranji Trophy match is a win-win for everyone. Virat Kohli will get some practice, and if he scores runs and gets back to form, it will benefit India a lot. So, we pray that he does well and spends some time at the crease. We hope he gets the kind of success he got in the 2023 ODI World Cup in the 2025 Champions Trophy as well.”
